Paris (AFP)

Free to engage where he wants after having written his legend at FC Barcelona, ​​Lionel Messi is very close to Paris-SG, who is waiting for him on Tuesday in the French capital to sign his contract.

When his giant portrait was taken off the Camp Nou, the Argentinian superstar arrived in the early afternoon, around 1:20 p.m., at Barcelona-El Prat airport, accompanied by his wife and three children, noted a AFPTV journalist.

His father and advisor, Jorge Messi, had disembarked twenty minutes before him, followed by cameras and escorted by police.

Stayed at home on Monday, by the pool, while the Parisian supporters were waiting for him, one of the best footballers in history is well on his way this time.

A source with knowledge of the case had previously told AFP that Lionel Messi would arrive in the afternoon of Tuesday in Paris.

In front of Le Bourget airport, around forty supporters were waiting for him, even before the news of his arrival at the Catalan airport was known.

And at the Parc des Princes, employees cleaned and set up the red carpet for the stadium's VIP entrance.

"I was already there yesterday (Monday)", explains Chris Liu, a 28-year-old accountant, PSG jersey on his shoulders, who came to Le Bourget.

"He's one of the best players of all time, seeing him for real is not an opportunity that comes every day."

"Messimania" has seized Paris since the player admitted Sunday that a signing at PSG was a "possibility".

- "Madness Messi" -

The players in Ligue 1, too, shared their enthusiasm during the weekend as to the probable arrival of the six-fold Golden Ball.

Just like the Parisian players: "He is the strongest player in the world. I am moved and happy to have him in our team," said Italian goalkeeper European champion Gianluigi Donnarumma in an interview broadcast Tuesday by Sky Italia.

"It's already madness for Messi," said the daily Le Parisien on Tuesday.

"At the stage of impatience", headlines L'Equipe.

Since the brutal announcement Thursday of Messi's departure from his lifelong club, Barça, PSG appears to be the most likely destination for the 34-year-old Argentinian.

"It's a possibility," the striker confirmed on Sunday, when bidding farewell to the Blaugrana club.

“Honestly, I got a lot of calls, from a lot of clubs when the press release (of his departure) came out. At this point, nothing has been done,” he continued.

The French press evokes the mutual interest between the two parties, and PSG's proposal for a contract of at least two years, with a net annual salary of around 40 million euros.

Lionel Messi leaves Barça after 21 years Pau BARRENA AFP / Archives

Such emoluments would place Messi at the level of Neymar (36 million euros), the highest paid footballer in France.

- Friend of Neymar -

On Sunday, he dedicated to Barça what looks set to be his last weekend as a free player.

In the bowels of Camp Nou where he wrote his legend, Messi, in tears, proclaimed his love for the club where he arrived at 13 years old.

"I never imagined my farewell because the truth is I wasn't thinking about it," he said, revealing that he had offered to cut his salary in half so that he could stay.

But Barca have given up on extending their huge contract, which expired in June, which placed too high a risk on their bloodless finances.

Lionel Messi's main records with FC Barcelona Vincent LEFAI AFP / Archives

The opportunity was too good for PSG, whose wealthy Qatari owner QSI is in perpetual pursuit of superstars to develop his brand.

The financial strength of QSI and the relaxation of UEFA's financial fair play rules made possible an operation that no one imagined at the start of the summer.

But the scale of it means that it could move the tectonic plates of football Europe.

In Spain, AS, chose to headline on Kylian Mbappé: to see him go to Real Madrid "it is possible", estimates the great Madrid sports daily.

The case of the French striker, at the end of his contract in June 2022, remains unresolved, while negotiations on his extension are slipping.

Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi, August 8, 2021 in Barcelona (Spain) Pau BARRENA AFP / Archives

His departure could help finance Operation Messi in Paris ... a hypothesis that the leaders of the club in the capital have already refuted.

© 2021 AFP